I was recently in Indonesia standing outside an adventurewear shop, and suddenly thought about the Billabong brand. In my teenage days, Billabong shops dotted every shopping mall you went to. And yet, until this past weekend I have probably not thought about the brand in maybe 10 years. 

What happened? 

The Rise and Fall of Billabong: A Fashion Empire's Journey

Picture this: It was 1973, the sands of Gold Coast were buzzing with surfers, and Gordon and Rena Merchant were busy stitching together a revolution from their kitchen table. Enter Billabong, a surfwear brand that would see Australia's sunny shores set the stage for a global fashion phenomenon. And these weren't just any shorts; they were the boardshorts that hugged surfers like the ocean hugs a wave. One splash at a time, Billabong became the go-to label for beach bums and wave chasers across the continent.

Billabong wasn't just content with being a small surfwear brand. By the late 1980s, with a wardrobe swelling from notepads of strategic expansions and a knack for sponsoring gnarly surfing events, Billabong had sold its soul to global recognition. It opened stores faster than surfers catching a break and meticulously inked licensing deals that would make any business tycoon nod in approval.

However, calm tides can give way to turbulent waves. The vibrant vista once viewed from the crest of the fashion world began to cloud in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Fierce competition from other surf and lifestyle brands, coupled with over-ambitious expansion plans that looked better on paper than in practice, sent Billabong into a tailspin. The financial brews of a global crisis diluted consumer enthusiasm, and the brand found its cozy spot on the shelves squeezed by changing fashion tides and an inability to catch the wave of new consumer trends.

Fast forward to 2025, and Billabong looks to be almost completely wiped out. Billabong, along with its surf-cohort brands like Quiksilver and Volcom, is shutting down its physical stores in the US due to the bankruptcy of their operator, Liberated Brands. 

The broader macroeconomic challenges are a sign of a deeper crisis for surfwear brands. The cool ocean breeze of cash flow has turned into a drought, thanks to fashion’s latest whiplash-inducing turn - declining consumer demand. Once the darlings of beach-bound wardrobes, these brands are now struggling to catch a new wave as consumer tastes migrate like fashion-savvy seabirds. 

Much like a surfer caught in a rip current, Billabong is trying to navigate this stormy sea called Modern Consumerism. Surf brands are dog-paddling against the current, desperately attempting to adapt to rapidly shifting demands while wrestling with frayed brand perceptions. Billabong’s gravestone reads more like a cautionary tale about the curious conundrum of staying relevant in an ever-changing style seascape—competing with fast fashion became more crash than thrash. As analyses have pointed out, splashy acquisitions and unwieldy expansions have often taken a toll, leading to a rather chaotically unfolded saga of brand struggles.

And so, Billabong, the once-mighty surfwear titan, found itself riding the unpredictable waves of fashion’s fickle ocean. Like a surfer caught in a gnarly wipeout, it struggled to regain its footing amidst changing tides and trends. Yet, its legacy endures, stitched into the fabric of board shorts and beach bonfires worldwide. Perhaps, in the end, Billabong's story is a reminder that even the most iconic brands can get wiped out.

Makes you wonder: Which brand is next?